NPP woos dismissed members

The opposition New Patriotic Party has initiated moves to reinstate dismissed members of the party who contested as independent parliamentary candidates in the last elections.

Members of the party who either lost primaries or were disqualified from contesting parliamentary seats on the party's ticket contested as independent candidates.

Following their action the party dismissed them for gross indiscipline and contravening the party's constitution.

But the party is now willing to reintegrate them into the party, having probably realized rather too late that the disciplinary action against some members of the party could have cost the NPP the last elections.

General Secretary of the NPP, Nana Ohene Ntow told Joy News the move was meant to reunite the NPP family.

He said all former members of the party have been approached and those who agree to abide by its rules will be reinstated.

According to him, those who won parliamentary seats were already sitting with the NPP MPs in the House and will be formally reinstated in the party.

But a law lecturer at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Ernest Abotsi says reinstating the MPs will lead to them losing their seats.

Quoting from the Constitution, he argues that once they did not contest on the NPP's ticket, rejoining the party automatically costs them their seats.

In that case, by-elections will have to be conducted in all the constituencies involved.

Touching on other issues, Nana Ohene Ntow faulted President Mills for failing to spell out new initiatives when he delivered his State of the Nation Address.

Ohene Ntow claims President Mills only referred to existing programmes and projects and pledged to improve on them.

That for him, was disappointing because the president during the campaigns raised hopes to unprecedented levels, and also faulted him on the statement he read before parliament, which he said is quite different from the text version of it.

He promised a transcription of what President Mills said and what was issued to expose the difference.

Story by Malik Abass Daabu